


A Killer's Mind

by Rkarena59



Category: Frizzies: Franco Baldwin and Elizabeth Webber General Hospital
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-10-24 21:24:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20712767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rkarena59/pseuds/Rkarena59
Summary: Franco has a nightmare after talking to the police.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an alternate universe that takes place a couple of years after Mary Pat's death. A new serial killer has come to town or so it seems.

Franco found himself in a dark hallway but there was a glimmer of light, and he headed for that light only to find himself at an intersection. Two other hallways stretched out in front of him one to the left and another to the right. He decided to head to the left first but once again found himself in darkness. He wasn't sure if he should continue or go back the other way. Suddenly a light flickered in front of him, it seemed to be beckoning him. He started walking toward it but it became harder and harder to move. He looked down and found himself walking in mud, or something like mud. From the little bit of light entering the hallway, it appeared almost a reddish-brown. The farther he traveled the harder it became and he decided to turn back only to find that he couldn't. His heart started beating rapidly as he struggled to pull his legs clear of the mud but it clung to him like molasses. Once again the light ahead began flickering and he tried to go to it. With a terrible sucking sound, his foot moved a little bit but only if he continued to the light. He had no choice but to slog ahead with each step harder and harder to take.

  
The air in the hallway became oppressive and there was a smell in the air that got stronger and stronger as he neared the light. He began recognizing certain scents. He smelled turpentine and oil. There was the powerful scent of aerosol spray paint and it reminded him of his art studio. Then he became aware of a cloying metallic smell. The flickering light got a little brighter and he realized there was a doorway ahead of him. He stopped, he didn't want to go any farther, but just as suddenly the floor slanted and his feet went out from under him and he found himself sliding into the room. The lights came on, blinding him for a second, and then his eyes adjusted. They widened as he realized he was looking at his very own artwork. Artwork that he had painted after each one of his killings, only there was something terrifyingly real about this art, all the paintings were oozing the reddish-brown liquid on the floor. The liquid that was now all over him and as he looked at his hand it dawned on him it wasn't mud. Oh God, he was lying in a massive pool of blood. He struggled to rise off the floor but the liquid seemed to be pulling him down like quicksand and soon he would be drowning in it. He continued to fight to get free and then a hand touched his shoulder... He screamed and the sound echoed and was joined by screams emanating from the art.

  
"Franco! Franco, wake up!"

On hearing her voice, Franco reached and grabbed at her hand like a lifeline and the room disappeared. In the moonlight, he was able to make out Elizabeth's face above his. He pulled her into his arms, burying his face against her shoulder. "Oh God! Is this real? Are you real?"

  
Liz held him. "Shh. It's all right. You were having a nightmare. It's over, you're here with me."

  
He held her tighter unable to really think. He couldn't get the images out of his mind. He had held his crimes at bay for years but now they were coming back and in a way he never imagined. He started shivering.

  
Feeling his body begin to shake, Liz loosened her hold on him to get a good look at him. There were beads of sweat on his brow and his color was all off. "Franco?"

  
"I'm so cold," He tried to pull her against him to get some warmth from her but nothing seemed to be helping. "Elizabeth, why is it so cold?"

  
Liz went into nurse mode as she recognized the signs. Whatever he had dreamed was affecting him physically and Franco was going into shock. His heart was beating erratically and his breathing was frenetic. He was trying to breathe too fast and as such he wasn't getting enough oxygen. She needed to calm him down before he had a full-on heart attack. She pulled all the covers up around him and had him lay down and then she laid down beside him and continued to hold him. "Franco, you need to listen to me, Everything is going to be okay. I need you to start breathing slowly." She slipped her hand under the covers and laid it on his chest. "Do you feel my hand?" he nodded, and he laid one of his hands on hers. He kept his eyes glued to her face. "Take a deep breath and feel my hand rise and fall. Now, breathe in, now breathe out. That's it, keep going, breathe in and breathe out. You're doing fine." His shivering began to dwindle and she moved her hand to his forehead, checking his skin. It was still clammy but his color was coming back. She put her head down on his chest and wrapped her arm around him again. "I'm here for you no matter what. You scared me. What happened to you was worse than any reaction I've ever seen to a nightmare. I believe you had what a doctor would describe as a night terror. It's over."

  
He wanted to believe her but the images of his victims in various stages of torture continued to invade his mind. He couldn't get rid of the sounds of their screams. He held Elizabeth tighter. "It was so real. There was blood everywhere and oozing from my paintings. Elizabeth, I was covered in it and it wanted me. How could I do those things? I hurt them and enjoyed their pain. God, I really was a monster." He squeezed his eyes shut determined to find a way to clear his thoughts.

  
Liz reached up and stroked his face. "Franco, it wasn't you. It really was the tumor. I know that sounds convenient and stupid to so many, but it's a fact. You were truly ill. I know the man you really are and you're not capable of those atrocities. You're a good man, one who even as a child was determined to protect his brother. That's you. You're the man I love with my whole heart. I trust you implicitly with myself and my boys. Franco, open your eyes and look at me." she waited and he finally opened them to gaze on her face. "I need you to believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Babe, I know what brought this all on. Damn it, you never should have talked to the police. The Trick or Treat murderer is a real monster. He's obviously incapable of any true feelings. I know the case has been unsolved for over two years, but I don't know why they had to come back to and try to get more information, This happened because you had to revisit your past and it hurt you in the process. Promise me you won't get any more involved with them."

  
Franco's eyes never left Elizabeth's face and his heart was steadily beating slower and the images in his mind were fading. "You're my angel, you know that. I'll never get over the fact that you love me. After everything I've done, you really do see me."

  
Liz gave him a gentle kiss. she wanted to wipe away the anguish she could still see deep in his eyes."I do and I hate to see you struggle with your past this way. It's not healthy. I was sure when we sold your art, you would be able to move on but from what your saying. you still haven't let your guilt go. I need that promise from you. You can't continue to help the police, it could destroy you."

  
He wanted to promise her. More than anything he didn't want another dream-like he had just had but something began nagging at him. A feeling that as horrific as his dream was there was something he was missing. He needed to find a diversion both for himself and Elizabeth, so he captured her lips, and soon they had other things on their minds than his dream.

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Trick or Treat Killer strikes again.

Scott looked at his watch. Lucy was late as usual. He got up from the bar and started to head for the elevator. the door opened and Franco stepped off.

"Hey, Dad. I thought you were going to meet up with Lucy tonight."

"So did I, but you know Lucy. She's upstairs in the ballroom meeting with some potential sponsor for the Nurses Ball. Poor guy probably can't get away from her. If she smells money she's like a dog with a bone. I thought I would head up and free the schmoe."

"Do you need help? I'm here getting take-out for the family tonight since Liz and I both worked all day, but I can give you a hand distracting Lucy while I wait for the order."

"Nah, I can manage. You guys have a good night." Scott waved goodbye to his son and entered the elevator and headed for the upper floor. He stepped off the elevator and made his way down the hall. He didn't hear any conversation but there was a light on in the ballroom. "Hey Lucy, I thought you were going to meet me downsta..." He was struck dumb by the scene in front of him. All sound seemed to die and it was eerily quiet as Scott looked at the stage. The light in the room was coming from the stage where Lucy was hung wearing nothing but her bra and panties. She was limp, her head hanging down and her long hair covered her face. "My God! Who?... What?... Lucy, talk to me. Are you okay? Lucy, please give me a sign you're still alive. Lucy please!" There was no movement, no moan, nothing, she was just strung up like a puppet with the lights beaming at her. Scott sank to the floor. "Oh babe, why? You never hurt anyone." He looked around and was tempted to find a way to bring her down but he knew the police needed to be called. His hand shook as he pulled out his cell.

****

His cell went off as Franco was picking up his order. "Hey, Dad, do you need my help with Lucy after all?... Dad?"

"Franco, I need you to come up here. I... just come ...please." Scott sat on the edge of the stage. He was thinking of all the ups and downs he and Lucy had had over the years. He remembered how close Lucy had come to death after she delivered Serena. She had returned to them at that time but there was going to be no coming back now. A lot happened after that birth and they had gone their separate ways only to find themselves both single again. Recently, they had finally settled into a comfortable friends-with-benefits relationship that worked for both of them. He looked up at her. "What am I going to tell Serena and Christina? They're not going to understand this anymore then I do."

There was a tone in his dad's voice that Franco had only heard when Scott had told him about Lee's death. Alarmed, he left the food on the counter and headed upstairs. He exited the elevator and walked into the ballroom only to come up short in shock. No wonder his dad had sounded strange. Looking at the scene in front of him, Franco was pretty sure Lucy was dead. Whoever had killed her had taken his time placing Lucy for the most dramatic effect. He noted the fact that she was hung in just her underwear and he was aware of the Nurses Ball curse that had hounded Lucy for years. Someone was well versed in Lucy's past. He spotted his father sitting on the stage and walked over to him

. "Dad, I'll help you get her down."

Scott shook his head, his voice was ragged. "We can't. The police need to see this first. I called them too. I just ... I don't know... I just wish I could cover her with something. ... She really hated it when she got caught without her clothes during the first years of the Nurses Ball. Of course, she always was a good sport about it because it was for charity."

"Yeah, I heard about that." Franco sat down next to his father and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Dad." His mind wandered to the other killing that had taken place at Halloween. That killing had been staged too. It had only taken the police a few days to come knocking at his door wondering what he could tell them. It was beginning to look like they had a serial killer in town. The worst part was that the killer had taken the time to stage his victims much like Franco had staged his artwork. The killer not only knew about Lucy's past but he knew about Franco's, too.

Franco left his father sitting on the stage and decided to look around a little bit before the police arrived. It was pretty obvious that the killer was most likely a man. No sandbags had been used as counterweights so whoever hung Lucy was pretty strong. Franco couldn't help but wondered how Lucy died. There was no blood that he could see but then Mary Pat's body hadn't left any blood anywhere that he knew of either. He was sure that police were still trying to figure out where Mary Pat had been killed. He behaved himself and didn't touch anything. He had learned his lesson when he wiped down the knife that killed Silas Clay and then got caught with it in his possession. He wandered over to where the line holding Lucy was tied off. Something glinted down on the floor and Franco leaned over to find out what caught his eye. It was a button. It looked rather innocuous but he picked it up to get a better look at it. Just then the police flowed into the room followed by Carly. He winced as she screamed. He had forgotten what a drama queen she could be. He pocketed the button and backed into the shadows, knowing if she saw him she'd be the first one to accuse him.

Detective Chase walked over to Scott. "You called this in. Care to tell me what happened?"

Scott rose from the stage and faced the detective. "Lucy was supposed to meet me for dinner after an appointment she had with a potential sponsor for next year's Nurses Ball. When she didn't show up down in the Metro Court Bar, I came up here looking for her and this is what I found."He waved his hand in the direction where Lucy hung. His voice wavered. "I called you a few minutes later."

"Did anyone see you down in the Metro bar?"

Franco moved out of the shadows. "Hey, you're not seriously suggesting my dad had anything to do with this? I can attest he was in the bar waiting for Lucy. I saw him myself just before he came up here. Besides, I'm sure a number of people saw him there and my dad would never hurt Lucy. You need to look somewhere else."

Chase raised his eyebrow at Franco's sudden appearance. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been here since before you guys showed up. I was waiting for an order down at the bar when my father called me. Seriously it was only a few minutes after he headed up here. I could tell something was wrong so I came right up and yes, I can account for my time too. With the exception of the time that it took me to get here from the hospital, I've been with patients. Now, do you think we could get Lucy down from there? Your men have got plenty of pictures by now." He walked over to his dad and steered him away from Chase.

Carly walked up to Chase. "Are you just going to let him talk to you that way? How do we know he's telling the truth about where he's been. He was hiding when we got here. Why did he do that?"

"Mrs. Corinthos, this is now a crime scene. You need to go. Don't worry about Franco, we'll check his alibi. I assure you." He left her and went over to his officers who were slowly lowering Lucy to the stage.

Carly stormed up to Franco and Scott. "You're not fooling anyone, Franco. This whole scene screams your kind of show. Why did you do it, and how could you involve your father?"

"Oh come on Carly, I liked Lucy. Why the hell would I kill her? Besides, I'm betting Lucy was killed long before the killer strung her up. If I'm right, my patients are all the alibi I need." he turned his back on her and followed his dad back to where Lucy was being placed down. The officers immediately tried to block Scott. "Hey, they were best friends and lovers. Give him a minute would you?"

Chase nodded at his officers and they backed off as Scott sat down next to Lucy.

Scott leaned down close to Lucy's ear. "Babe, I can't get you back this time but I'll make sure the one who did this is caught and prosecuted. I promise." He kissed her forehead and got up knowing the police would need to get a better look at Lucy and try to determine how she died. "I'm going to stick around and go with her when you move her." Chase nodded and Scott turned to his son. "Franco, you go home to Elizabeth and the boys. I'm okay."

Franco nodded and awkwardly patted his father's shoulder before leaving the room. As he was leaving, his cell phone rang. "Hi."

"Franco, where are you? We left the hospital at the same time, I thought you would be home with the food by now. The boys are ravenous."

"Yeah, I'm coming now. Something happened but I'll tell you about it when I get home. A short while later, Franco walked in the front door.

Liz met him with a kiss and took the food from him. She headed to the kitchen. She set the food down on the counter and started to reach for some plates when Franco came up behind her and pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck.

"God I love you, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you." he hugged her even harder.

She could hear the emotion in his voice. "Franco, what happened?" She turned in his arms and looked up at him. His eyes glistened and his mouth came down on hers hungrily. She wrapped her arms around his neck and melted into him but when he went to lift her on top of the table, she regained her senses. " Franco, we can't, the boys...."

He moaned softly and kissing her again lowered her back to the ground. He separated himself from her and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I wasn't thinking."

Liz reached up and took his face into her hands. "Talk to me. You said something delayed you. Is that why you're so upset?"

He took her hands in his and gently kissed them. "Something bad happened. There's been a murder. It was ...It was Lucy. Scott found her. That's why I'm late. I've been with him. He's devastated. I knew he cared for her but I didn't realize how much she meant to him until tonight. I should have stayed with him but he told me to come home and when I heard your voice all I wanted to do was come home and keep you safe from this maniac who's killing women." He pulled her back into his arms and just held her close.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franco fears for Elizabeth

The alley was dark and he spotted Elizabeth ahead of him headed into a building. He followed quickly trying to catch her. "Elizabeth, wait for me. It's dangerous to be down here alone. Wait!"

He entered the building. There was no sign of her and the room was dark except for another doorway across the room. "Elizabeth, stop this. Why are you doing this?" He headed for the lit doorway and found himself in another hallway. A shiver went down his back and he continued forward. The air was musty and oppressive and he reached a junction where the hallway forked to the left or right. "Elizabeth, where are you? He heard a muffled giggle coming from his left, so he started walking down that hallway. "Hey, I don't know what you are doing but this isn't very funny."

Now the air turned colder and he found himself wishing he had a jacket. As he hugged himself, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, he could see his breath appearing before him. The giggle he heard before had now changed into a chilling laugh. The light at the end of the hall began to flicker and Franco slowed down or tried to, the floor was now covered in a sheet of ice. He slipped and went sliding into the room headfirst. The room was dark and as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. he saw what looked like more ice covering all the surfaces he could make out. The room had the antiseptic smell of an operating room or a morgue. The floor was so cold it burned through his hands and he tried to find a way to stand up. Across the room silhouetted by another lighted door was a lifesize marionette that looked like a woman. The laughter seemed to be from her but he wasn't able to make out any features. The puppet appeared to be tossing a large ball back and forth between her hands. He couldn't get up because of the ice and it was becoming increasingly colder when the laughter stopped He could just make out the head of the puppet lifting and looking at him. There was a rush of cold air and then he heard a husky whisper.

"Catch"

He watched in horror as the ball sailed through the air and then rolled to a stop right in front of his face. Only it wasn't a ball. It was the head of Nurse Mary Pat. Her eyes opened staring right at him and he was frozen unable to move. With a moan, she spoke,. "Help us! You know Him!"

Franco woke up abruptly, he was freezing and suddenly had an overwhelming need to make sure Elizabeth was next to him. He rolled over and she was sleeping peacefully on her side. He took a shuddering breath as his panic subsided and laid down next to her, wrapping an arm around her tightly. The nightmare was still vivid and he realized who the marionette was. Lucy's death had affected him more than he thought. He was unable to get back asleep, his mind was racing. He had never believed in the notion that dreams could be warnings or omens, but he did believe his nightmares were trying to tell him something. He had tried to warn the police that the killer of Mary Pat wasn't finished. Now Lucy was dead. He had once believed that he learned to kill because he was impressed by the logical and cold way Jason killed. The intricacies involved with planning and getting away with murder had fascinated him. He hated the idea that he had a killer's past, but he knew it was simply a fact and although the tumor had been responsible, he had still planned and executed each of his crimes.

Kevin had begun treating him in order to try and understand a killer's mind. Franco had agreed because parts of his youthful past had brought up some dark memories. In his conversations with Kevin, he had discovered that Kevin had a twin who also had been a serial killer. It had helped the two of them to form a bond of sorts and Franco had felt comfortable opening up to Kevin. Now another serial killer had come to Port Charles and he had a particularly macabre way of letting his victims be found. He started thinking about the two murders. Mary Pat had been beheaded, and the grizzly reveal of her head definitely was designed to get everyone's attention. Franco was more interested why the killer had delivered the body to Ava's gallery. It was like the killer wanted to get Ava's reaction and although it seemed strange, Franco had a sinking feeling the killer was trying to impress Ava. That wasn't good. If the killer had an obsession with Ava, then she was also in danger and as Kiki's mother. Franco didn't want anything to happen to her. The question was, why would the killer have such an obsession and how did he know Ava?

Then there was Lucy. One thing he had noticed was that there had been no sign of struggle between Lucy and her killer. She had obviously felt comfortable with the man. The other thing he realized was that she didn't reach out to his father and tell him she was going to be late. Whoever the killer was, Lucy knew him well. Once again Franco felt a chill run through him. Lucy had close connections to several men in town including his father. The police were already checking on his father and where he was at the time of the murder. Even he couldn't tell the police if his father had been in the Metro Court for the whole time he had been waiting for Lucy.

The room started getting lighter and Elizabeth stirred in his arms. He loosened his hold and she turned over and faced him.

"Hey good morning." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "How long have you been awake?" She smiled and rubbed a hand on his chest.

He looked down into her smoky grey eyes and shrugged. "For a while. I had another one of those nightmares. I couldn't get back to sleep. Besides, I like holding you and watching you sleep."

She frowned and wrapped her arm around Franco in comfort. "Another nightmare, why didn't you wake me? I'm really concerned. You should talk to Kevin. I wish the police had never come here asking for your help. Now Lucy has been killed and from what you told me, she was staged just like Mary Pat two years ago. This is taking a toll on you. Do you believe these deaths are connected? How would Lucy know Mary Pat?"

"I'm not sure but I know this much. I don't think Lucy's death was random. The killer is working off a plan. Lucy knew her killer, of that I'm sure."

"Why do you think that?"

"I ... " Franco stopped. Elizabeth was his rock and he didn't want to alarm her any more than he already had. The more he thought about it the more he was sure that the killer was someone known to all of them and therefore he needed to keep Elizabeth safe. If she mentioned any of his ideas to the wrong person she could be the next victim. "Look this isn't how I wanted to start our morning. It's going to be a beautiful fall day. You and the boys should get out and enjoy the day. I'm sorry I even mentioned my dream. It's my problem. I think I'll try and see Kevin and bounce some ideas off him. I also want to check on my dad."

Liz sat up in bed. "Don't do that. We promised to be honest with each other. Don't shut me out. I know you're keeping something from me and you know what happened the last time you did that. I know the way your mind works. You're onto something about these killings, aren't you?"

"Look, I'm not trying to keep things from you. I'm just afraid if I tell you I'll be putting you in danger. This killer knows too much about all of us. Remember how I used to stage my art. I wanted to shock everyone. I feel the killer knows all about my actions and he's using those actions to stage his own killings. I'm not sure if he's setting me up but it's looking more and more like he might be."

Liz frowned "Do you think he is doing it to prove a point? He obviously feels he can one-up you. There is no way you're going to let him are you?" she said indignantly.

Franco raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like somebody's claws are coming out. Do I detect a little pride for my other than legal skills?" He smiled as Elizabeth turned the most charming rose color. "I knew it. You do like living dangerously, you just don't want all of your friends to realize what a little rebel you really are."

"I told you I didn't mind a little crazy and you definitely provide that for me and more." She pushed him down on the bed and captured his mouth hungrily.

The sun was fully up when Franco rolled off of Elizabeth laughing. "We need to stop. The next thing we know the boys will be rebelling because we haven't fixed breakfast." He nuzzled her neck and gave her another quick kiss. "I call dibs on the shower." He slipped out of the bed as Elizabeth threw a pillow at him chuckling.

Liz watched Franco disappear into the bathroom. She had to admit he had a great ass, but everything about him was great. It was amazing how different he was from the man who terrorized everyone in town. She bit at her lower lip. The problem was only a few people truly knew who he was. Others still saw him as a murderer. If the killer decided to target Franco there would be a lot of people who would be all over him for the crimes. She was tired of it. If the killer went afterFranco he would have both of them to contend with. She was going to help Franco and everyone better step back because when she was through everyone would know the real Franco or her name wasn't Elizabeth Webber Baldwin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franco looks deeper into the deaths happening.

Franco's mind went back to his dream as the water cascaded down his back. He couldn't help the shiver that ran through his body as he recalled the end of his dream and Mary Pat's head speaking to him. What was his mind trying to tell him? _I know him. Who is he? _He let the water flow over his head as he tried to figure out who knew Mary Pat and Lucy and how they could possibly be connected. It didn't make sense. Why had he waited two years before killing Lucy? Lucy had never come in contact with Mary Pat that he knew of. He turned off the water and grabbed a towel. Carly had already been cleared of Mary Pat's death, but other people had had run-ins with her. Jason was fully capable of killing the nurse after the way she treated Carly, but it would have taken an order from Sonny before he would have done it. If not Carly and Jason, who else knew her? Carly had been sent to Ferncliff because she had been accused of trying to hurt Michael's baby mama and the judge had considered her not repentant enough. He suddenly looked at himself in the mirror. _You idiot, someone near and dear to you has been in every facility for the mentally ill here in New York State. If anyone knows about Mary Pat it will be her._

He walked out of the bathroom just as Elizabeth got ready to enter and grabbed her quickly. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Hey, I half-expected you to join me. Why didn't you?"

Liz slid her hand lovingly down his bare chest. "Well, I was going to but I got sidetracked by a small altercation taking place in Jake's room. It seems that Jake took one of Cam's discarded t-shirts to paint in and now Cameron decided he wanted the t-shirt back. I had to point out to Cam he would just have to let it go since it was now covered in paint and he was the one who put it down in the utility room to be recycled. The rule is, that once things hit the recycle pile it belongs to anyone who wants it." She smiled up at him. "But you could just turn around and join me now, " her hand dropped to the towel covering him.

He grinned and grabbed her hand before she could take his towel. "While it's a great offer. I just don't feel like looking like a prune today at work. You're on your own."

She laughed and slapped his bottom before taking herself into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

Franco sat on the end of the bed emptying the pockets of his jeans from the day before. and paused as he spotted the button he had picked up off the stage. He didn't know exactly why he picked it up, but he had just had a strange feeling about it. Had it fallen off the killer's clothes or had it been placed there deliberately? Of course, it could simply be a button that had been sitting on the backstage floor since the Nurses Ball. It was too late to give it to the police. They would just think he was trying to frame someone with it. It was an unusual button a little too fancy for a shirt but not something you would see on a blouse either. He held it up to the light streaming in the window and noticed it was partially translucent. One might even say pearlized like the inside of a shell. No, it hadn't come from any ordinary shirt or blouse. This was the kind of button one would find on an expensive suit or gown. How the hell had it ended up on the stage floor?

"Hey, you found it."

He swung back around to see Elizabeth standing behind him. "Found what?

"Your missing button. I noticed the other day when you were headed to the hospital that your sportcoat was missing one. It must have fallen off at work. Is that where you found it?"

"No, are you sure this is off of my jacket?"

"Sure," She walked to the closet and pulled out the silk sportcoat that he wore occasionally to work when he knew the Chief to Staff was going to be around. "See. Here's where it came off."

Franco frowned. He always hung the coat up carefully and away from the paints and patients that came in and out of the Therapy room. He took the coat from her and sure enough, the button matched the rest on the coat. How the hell had the button ended up on the floor of the Metro Court ballroom stage? He took a close look at the coat and noticed the button hadn't just fallen off, it was like someone had deliberately removed it and they had also taken the threads used to sew it on."Huh, I didn't know I had lost it."

Liz was puzzled. "I don't understand. If you didn't know it was missing, why are you holding it?"

Franco knew he couldn't lie to Elizabeth anymore. "I found this on the floor of the stage where Lucy's line was tied off. I don't know what made me pick it up, I just did and then the police arrived and I put it in my pocket."

"But how did it end up at the Metro Court?" she looked from the button to Franco and it suddenly hit her. "Wait a minute. Do you think someone put it there on purpose? Who could have done that and why?"

Franco stood up and hung his jacket back away. "It's pretty obvious why. Whoever killed Lucy wanted that button found at the scene."

"But it's just a button. Why would the police even look at it as having anything to do with Lucy's killing and even if they did, how would they be able to trace it back to you?"

"I'm not sure they could, but it didn't just fall off my jacket. That button was taken deliberately. I didn't get a chance to go over the entire stage before the police got there. For all I know, something else might have been left behind as well as the button. You know the police came to me about Mary Pat's death, it's possible the killer might have decided to point them in my direction."

"It makes no sense. Why would you kill Maty Pat or for that matter why would you kill Lucy?"

Franco took Elizabeth's hand and led her back to the bed. They sat down and he folded her hands into his rubbing them gently. For a moment he paused, he was uncertain how to continue but knew he needed to. It was time. He gazed into her eyes and took a deep breath, expelling it slowly."Elizabeth, I know we haven't talked about my past and I know you know I've changed but to be honest. no one else believes that. To them, I'm a serial killer who got off on a technicality. This is hard for me to explain. In my head, I killed those people because I thought they deserved to die. They were either crooked or unscrupulous with others and that was my motive I guess, I believed I had the right to judge them for their faults. Now I know how horribly skewed my head was then but this killer, he's killing for another reason. This guy likes to kill for the fun of it. He feels powerful that he can mess with everyone's heads. Just like he tried to lead the police to Carly for Mary Pat's death, I think he intends to lead them to me for Lucy and the biggest problem with that is they were already leaning that way with his first murder. The police aren't concerned with why I would kill Mary Pat or Lucy, they'll think I've gone off my rocker and am doing it for the thrill. I need you to believe that, although I've been bothered by these deaths and the darkness I know still is within me, I don't have any desire to kill again.

Liz listened and watched his face as he talked about his crimes. They disgusted him and from his voice, she could tell that the latest killing really troubled him. She knew from the bottom of her heart that Franco was truly a changed man. He wasn't capable of doing a senseless murder and framing anyone for it, not anymore. After everything he had been through, he would have left her and the boys if the darkness had started to invade him again. "Franco, I know you haven't killed these women. You would never hurt your father that way. We need to sit down and figure out where you were during these killings. You need alibis. No one is going to railroad the man I love."

She leaned forward and softly kissed his lips. After returning her kiss, his arms wrapped around her tightly and he whispered in her ear. "Thank you!"


End file.
